Stormy Sailing in the Rollo Wheeler Regatta

On April 11 and 12, Berkeley Yacht Club (BYC) hosted the 53rd edition of the Rollo Wheeler Regatta. The event consisted of two races with three PHRF fleets and an Express 37 fleet on Saturday, and a combined pursuit race on Sunday.

Twenty-four boats registered to race on Saturday, but many of them didn’t sail for the full day due to stormy weather. Two races were sailed in each fleet, with the boats that didn’t go home rewarded with nice breeze and only occasional rain showers.

The Express 37 fleet was won by Michael Laport’s Golden Moon (StFYC), who won the first race and finished second in the second race, placing one point ahead of Bartz Schneider’s Expeditious (SFYC), who won race two and was third in race one.

Nesrin Basoz’s J/111 Swift Ness (RYC) topped the first PHRF fleet, winning both races. The second PHRF fleet was won by Wowla (RYC), a J/100 sailed by Lori Tewskbury, also winning both races. The final PHRF fleet was similarly won with two bullets by JP Camille’s Olson 25 Shadowfax (BYC).

After Sunday’s pursuit race was delayed to let a squall run through, six of the originally registered 20 boats sailed. Richard vonEhrenkrook’s Cal 20 Can O’Whoopass (SSS) won the event, with Swift Ness finishing second, four minutes behind the winner on both corrected and actual time.